Help Tuning Asymmetric 4321

[xinsomniacboix]

This is the formation I'm trying to play with Chelsea in a new save.

I wanted to try something different than the usual 4231 or 451 that I normally play, and ended up with this. I'm still in preseason, but there definitely do appear to be some issues watching the friendlies, even if there is some promise.

My goals when building this was to play Lampard, grooming Oscar to be his successor, Hazard, and Mata together in their favored positions without being a mess defensively. To do this, I added a wide midfielder/defensive winger on the right as Pepe was transfer listed and perfect for the role, and Ramires with some training can do very well there too.

Individual Instructions:

Pepe RM: Sit Narrower

Mata AMC: Run Wide with Ball, Run with Ball more often

My vision was to encourage movement between positions. With Mata, I've tried to recreate the "central winger" who will drift around looking for space between the lines, and then dribble wider, overloading a flank or creating an angle to play a through ball.

With Mata drifting around, I thought Lampard/Oscar would be perfect for exploiting that space from deep. Oscar, while having stats suited to playing in the AMC role, is also good defensively to start with, has a high work rate, and has the dreaded shoots from distance PPM, so I wanted to move him deeper.

To compensate, Pepe/Ramires are instructed to sit narrower and hopefully cover the run of the CM (A), at times becoming a 3rd Central Midfielder if necessary.

On the left, Yacob/Mikel hold things down in midfield while everyone else goes about moving around.

Ideally, with players shifting positions like this, it will create triangles to cut through the opponent. Mata, in particular, I envisioned having onrushing Lampard, Hazard, and Eto as options to pass to most of the time.

A stopper is place behind the CM (A) to prevent gaps from opening there while a cover CB watches out for him.

Problems I've noticed:

The AMC takes too many long shots. Sometimes I see that Hazard is further forward, but Mata doesn't play the through ball and instead will take a shot from range that doesn't do anything.

I'm not sure how to set up the striker in this formation. I know the DLF should be stepping on the AMC's toes a little bit the way i have it set up, but i envisioned the AMC roaming wide a lot, leaving Eto some room to maybe drop in and play Hazard or Lampard through. I would like advice on this though. Would changing Eto to Advanced Forward to stretch the opposition be better? I would probably compensate by changing Hazard to support.

Also not sure if I want defensive winger or wide midfielder for the RM. I'd like for them to basically tuck in and be a CM a lot of the time and not get in the way of an onrushing Azpilicueta.

[mangelito]

It's strange that such a well written OP and an interesting tactical setup haven't got more attention. I'm struggling myself to get the grips with FM14 tactics, so maybe I'm not the best to advice. Anyway...

My idea would be to move the DLP deeper to a DM position to give Mata more space. Maybe even drop Mata to a support role (AP-S), and let him roam from position more. With his mental stats he should be able to find the space towards the wing.

[Old Scouser Tommy]

I personally like the idea of an asymmetric formation myself and I'm trying to implement it with my new Liverpool save. I think you have too many specialist roles for a fluid mentality. I've gone with a balanced control to start with and will adjust it accordingly as pre-season goes on.

[bakes106]

personally i would switch the cover to the DCR and the stopper to DCL, so the DCR can cover the run of the WbA. And maybe switch the DLP and the CmA so he gives extra cover the right hand side, otherwise you will be susceptible to quick balls out to that flank on the counter, but the CmA may then be trying to run into the space of the IfA so maybe another role